Gybing an Open 60.

doris

doris

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Gybing an Open 60.
Reading the heroics in the Southern Ocean we got to wondering how you actually gybe an Open 60 single handed. The runners are vital, I presume, so is it a question of centring the keel, winching in the main, resetting the new runner, flipping the main, letting the main out and Bob’s your uncle! I think not, cos the slow winching in of the main would frequently simply induce a broad…And all this is before you think of the stacking below or the foresails. Anyone know how they really do it!!
 
I guess the autopilots could be programmed to make the whole thing easier and im sure the main winches would be geared ie adjustable. I guess the real answer tho, is .............................................. carefully /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Good question, because if Open 60 enjoy the same apparent wind effects as skiff dinghies then the best way to gybe would be at top speed on a wave. How you would do that singlehanded, I don't know.

If they slowed down then the rig would simply load up, which is not a good way to gybe either.
 
A French magazine sent a journalist aboard with Peyron to test jibing and tacking, both are done in several *tens* of steps, taking 20-30 minutes /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I ll try and find the article
 
I would reckon they 'wear round' that way avoiding the gybe. Not stylish but then you don't lose your rigging /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I'm not an expert but trying to remember what I was told when I visited BOSS and ECOVER in Portimao earlier this year, it takes about 30 mins with a 30 point checklist to do so. Involves draining the ballest, moving all the kit from one side to the other, Canting the keel at some time etc, etc, etc............

Accidental gybes are a big no no as the whole thing just falls over and lies in the water till it rights itself.
 
I did gybe an open 60 once with the help of two others, just like a Laser in 25knts, slightly scary and a bit wobbly! and that was only in 25knts of warm trade wind. Southern ocean in more wind with wobbly keels and a boat the width of a tennis court must be a different game altogether!
 
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I would reckon they 'wear round' that way avoiding the gybe. Not stylish but then you don't lose your rigging /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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I believe that "wearing round" IS gybing. From days of square riggers that were difficult to tack. If they couldn't tack they would wear round (gybe).

And I don't think there is any way these guys would tack when they were blasting downwind at 20+ knots. Apparent wind would suddenly go from (say) 10 knots to 40+ knots.
 
Re: tacking

That's a good video - simple those boats are not. Probably important to remember to put the new rudder down!

I looked at the old Hugo Boss at the Southampton show a few years back - the thing that struck me the most was the size of the rig.

I agree with those who have said they do gybe not tack - all the comms I have read say gybe and the thought of tacking in those big seas and winds is scary. The fastest boatspeed I have read is 32 kts (Golding I think) and as someone has pointed out what happens to the apparant wind as the boat comes up would be too much.
 
Re: tacking

So..in a nutshell..if you are out sailing on a starboard tack and meet one of those on a port tack...just don't bother shouting 'Starboard'. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Yes, wearing ship is tacking a square rigger, done it a few times..but not enough times to fully understand what was going on...its a whole new ball game to those of us who think two sails is quite enough.

Tim
 
Mike Golding appears to have modified his rig mid southern ocean which seems to have made it much quicker to gybe!
 
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